Flower Crowns
by RubyBlight
Summary: Garnet ponders both Zidane's idiosyncrasies and the differences between them as she goes about her journey with him. Final chapter up.
1. Leaves in Your Hair

_Final Fantasy IX_, all its characters and locations are © Square Enix.

Constructive criticism is desired and appreciated.

***

"Leaves in Your Hair"

The sun was high in the sky, cradled by overstuffed white clouds. A flock of birds flew overhead, whilst bees and butterflies flittered around the flowery field. Garnet took a deep breath of the clean summer's air. It was warm today without being hot. It was the kind of weather she loved.

Eiko had convinced Vivi to pick flowers with her. She told him they were going to make crowns with them. He nervously obeyed, sneezing at the pollen and falling on his face all the while. Freya let Eiko put a flowery crown on her helmet and then sat down under a willow tree by herself. Garnet smiled at the sight of a floral crown on the dragon knight. She liked seeing something more feminine on her friend. The princess considered going over to talk to the Burmecian woman for a moment or two, but then opted to go in search of the tailed thief in the group.

She saw him sitting under another tree, sharpening his daggers. She wasn't entirely sure what she would say to him once she got over there, but she was confidant that her company would be wanted. Zidane had seemed tense lately. Garnet couldn't even begin to pinpoint anything Zidane could possibly be thinking, but it was clear something was on the normally cheerful boy's mind. He kept going quiet during walks and he'd been sneaking off, too. When he came back (usually in the early morning hours), he'd be empty handed, which told her he wasn't going off with Choco. He was always happier when he came back, but in a few days or sometimes even hours, he'd revert to being a trifle off.

'_Perhaps he's just needed time to himself to think,_' Garnet thought.

She wished she could understand the mind of a teenaged boy. Girls were so much easier! She passed by Quina as she made her way over to the thief and couldn't stop herself from wondering what the Qu's gender was.

'_Is it possible to be both genders at once?_'

She slowed her pace as she drew closer and closer to Zidane. He hadn't noticed her yet, staying true to his current task of dagger sharpening. Garnet put her best smile on and bent down to speak to the seated thief.

"Might I sit with you for a moment or two?" she asked cheerily.

"Of course you can," he replied, moving over to share the shady spot with the princess. "I've always got a 'moment or two' for a pretty girl."

She sat down next to him, tucking some black hair behind her ear. She smiled when he tipped his head back to shake his messy blond locks out of his face.

"Would you like me to tie your hair back?" she offered.

She turned her head away from him quickly; she hadn't expected to say that out loud. It wasn't too terribly forward, but it wasn't something a princess should be offering to do for a member of the opposite sex.

"No thanks, I'm alright," he replied, much to Garnet's relief.

She composed herself and then turned back to watching Zidane sharpen his knives. He slid the blades along a round, flat rock. Sparks were going off at the contact, though it was harder to see them in the daylight. Garnet sighed and bit her plump lower lip. She wanted to know why he kept running off at night.

"If I'm not being too bold," she began. "Might I ask why you've been so crestfallen lately?"

"Crestfallen…?" he echoed, knitting his eyebrows together in thought. "Oh! You mean depressed? I'm not depressed."

"You seem so."

"I do?" he laughed. "I'm fine!"

The princess smiled again. She wasn't sure why, but she loved hearing Zidane's laugh. When his laughter stopped, his bright smile replaced itself with the all too familiar flirtatious one.

"I am _flattered_ that you're worried about me, Dagger. It's so nice to be in the presence of a young woman who's both beautiful _and _kind."

Garnet rolled her eyes and smirked back. She'd long since learned to take anything Zidane said in that flirty tone of voice with a grain of salt. The tailed boy let out another happy chuckle, setting his daggers aside and leaning back into the tree trunk.

"So, how come you're not picking flowers with Vivi and Eiko? I thought you liked making flower crowns. Is it that you just couldn't bear to be away from me any longer, my dear?"

"Oh, you," Garnet half-groaned, rolling her eyes again. "Hm, if you were any kind of _gentleman_, you'd ask a _lady_ how _she's_ doing."

"How rude of me," he said flatly. He wanted Garnet to flirt back. Even if the attraction wasn't reciprocated, flirting was fun. He refused to let her suck the fun out of it! "How are you doing?"

"I'm well, thank you. I love this weather. It's perfect. I like this field, too. The flowers are so pretty…"

"So?"

"So what?" she asked, confused.

"You didn't answer my question. How come you're not picking flowers and making crowns with Eiko?"

Garnet froze then. What should she say? She hadn't known Zidane for very long, though she was quite comfortable around him. How would he take it if she answered honestly and said she was concerned? She knew he'd probably appreciate that she cared about him, but what if he took it the wrong way and ended up with a guilt trip? Or - and this was probably highly unlikely to happen - what if it made him mad? She really couldn't think of an instance in which saying "I was worried about you" resulted in the other person growing cross with her, but Zidane was rather unpredictable.

She'd only seen him truly angry a small handful of times. One time, Amarant had ticked him off after a long trek through a canyon on a too hot day with no food or water. After setting up the tents, Zidane had stormed off somewhere. He returned about four hours later, relaxed and content, and with a little hint of rum on his breath. Another time when he'd gotten upset, he left and returned in the afternoon of the following day smelling vaguely of cigars. The one constant in his disappearances was the content state he'd be in upon return. Garnet really wanted to know where the blond boy was going, but she couldn't help having a strong feeling that it was deeply personal.

"…it today?"

"Huh?" she squeaked rather dumbly at being jarred from her thoughts.

"Lost in my eyes, Dagger?" he chided.

"Don't tease me!" she yelled in frustration, getting up and stomping her foot.

Of course, she managed to stomp it right onto the tip of Zidane's tail. He yelped and jerked it away.

"What was that for, eh?!" he growled.

"I'm sorry! I didn't m-mean t-to…" she stammered. This wasn't the first time her habit of stomping her feet in anger had gotten her in trouble. "Is it alright?"

"No, I'd rather people didn't step on me," he snapped.

On him…? That was the first time it fully clicked with the princess that Zidane's tail was in fact a body part and had feeling in it. She tried not to cry. Zidane could see the guilt on her face and melted. He decided he shouldn't have yelled at her like he did. She hadn't hurt him intentionally.

"It's okay. I'm fine," he said warmly. He patted the ground so she'd sit with him again. "Wait, turn around?"

She did so, slowly recovering from the spat just moments ago.

"You've got some stuff in your hair," he mumbled. "Like, leaves and those oak things."

She stiffened as she felt his gloved fingers gently pulling the bits of foliage from her long black hair. A part of her cringed at how dirty her hair had apparently gotten just from sitting down on the ground. It got routine trims back in Alexandria, but it had been a long time since it had last been cut above her waist. She wondered if it might be worth it to have it cut to about the middle of her back. That was the shortest she was willing to go.

On the other hand, her scalp tingled at the feel on someone touching her hair so tenderly. No man had ever touched it before, aside from her father of course. It brought back memories of conversations she'd overheard from the maids. They would chatter together about men they were interested in, about dates, about…other things…and Garnet had yet to experience any of that. She'd danced with some boys at social functions, but she'd never gone on a formal date. This encounter with Zidane probably didn't count as a date, but she couldn't be entirely sure. She wanted to have a boyfriend. She wanted him to be a kind and strong man, both physically and emotionally. She wanted her first kiss to be at the top of a tower or a bridge, with a full moon and a clear, starry sky.

"You're all good," Zidane said with satisfaction.

Garnet looked over her shoulder to thank him. She saw him settling back down in his former place in the shade, picking up his daggers to sharpen. The princess found herself strangely somewhat disappointed that the contact between them had stopped. The tingling feeling in her scalp hadn't gone away and her heart was fluttering. She wondered if that was what a first kiss felt like. She felt breathless.

As she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, she stole another discreet glance at Zidane. Nothing had changed about him. He still had his blue eyes and messy blond hair, but he looked _different_ somehow. He was…

The princess could not place what had changed in his appearance, but change had occurred. Maybe it was because he'd touched her hair? That seemed silly; she'd danced with some boys before, which always required physical contact, and they were always exactly the same after the dance was over.

'_Is this what a 'crush' is?_' she wondered. She shook her head; the thought was absurd. Zidane was a thief! Her eyes bugged out of her head. Had she basically called her friend a lowly, common criminal? '_That was awful…I'm more grounded than that, aren't I?_'

Eiko came bounding up to the pair with a pink and white flower crown in her tiny hand. She wore a vibrant smile. Vivi trailed behind her. Neither Garnet nor Zidane could ever quite tell what kind of facial expressions the little black mage was making, but he still looked happy. His front was also covered in dirt and grass stains.

"We made you this, Dagger!" the little girl said happily. "We're going to make you one next, Zidane."

"It's lovely, Eiko! Thank you," the princess said warmly.

She let Eiko place the crown on her head. She looked at Zidane, who was off in his own little world, still sharpening his daggers. Eiko continued to tell him about how she was going to make him a crown out of some little blue flowers Vivi had found under a tree, even though the blond boy clearly wasn't listening.

Steiner called the four of them over, telling them how it was getting dark and that he had found them a place to spend the night. The group walked to the inn in silence. The wind had picked up, so Garnet carried the delicate crown in her hands. She watched Zidane, who was walking ahead of her, still trying to pinpoint what was so different about him.

'_Maybe it's just because I've become more aware of his tail,_' she decided.

After all, she was a princess and he was a thief. He was also an actor, but he'd even said himself that Tantalus mainly stole valuables. Garnet had grown up believing the fairy tales and stereotypes set out for a princess; she should pick a strong, noble, honest and gentle man to be her king. The only problem she was seeing with that semi-unwritten rule was that Zidane, the thief, fit those qualifications.

She'd been adopted into her family, which was a rarity. Maybe it was time for other class changes as well.


	2. Flowers on Your Bed

_Final Fantasy IX_, all its characters and locations are © Square Enix.

Constructive criticism is desired and appreciated.

I've been told that the last chapter's ending felt too abrupt, so hopefully this one doesn't! Also, it occurred to me that petticoats back in FF9's time probably didn't have zippers, but then again, this is a _Final Fantasy_ title, so I thought it might be okay…

***

"Flowers On Your Bed"

Garnet was sitting on her bed at the inn the group was staying at. In her hands, she held a pink and white flower crown Eiko had made for her. She smiled at it, but the expression was bittersweet. She used to make the crowns with her mother before Kuja changed her into a greedy monster. She still had the last two crowns they'd made together. They were pressed together in a thesaurus. Garnet felt the sting of tears creep up her nose and into her eyes. She pushed the feeling back when she heard noise in the hallway.

"Zidane?" she mumbled aloud.

It was definitely Zidane's voice. He wasn't alone; there was a girl with him. They were giggling and shushing each other.

"All right, come in here," she heard Zidane say.

Garnet's eyebrows shot high up on her forehead. She suddenly had a strong inclination that she should leave the room. But how? Zidane and his mystery girl were right outside the door! Garnet ran into what she thought was the closet, shutting the door behind her. She looked at the objects around her; a water basin, a towel, and a chamber pot.

'_I've locked myself in the _bathroom_!_' she grimaced.

She heard the room's door open and Zidane and his companion stepped in. When they shut the door, their giggling continued. Garnet could hear their disorganized footsteps crossing the room, and a creaky thud, which told her they'd plopped down on one of the beds.

There was a small hole in the bathroom door, which was rather upsetting to everyone. Garnet, however, decided to use it to her advantage. She peered through it, and her dark eyes grew huge at the sight. Zidane and a girl with plump, strawberry-blonde curls were on the thief's bed. Zidane was laying on top of her. They were kissing.

'_Who is that girl?_'

The girl sat up to undo her corset whilst Zidane removed his vest. Garnet's entire face burned.

'_Are they going to…? Out of wedlock?! That's sinful!_'

Zidane helped the curvaceous blonde out of her corset, then she moved onto her petticoat. Much to Garnet's horror, she was finding that looking away from the prelude to the activity outside the bathroom door was entirely impossible.

'_What does this say about me?! I'm a voyeur! I'm a pervert! I'm _Zidane_!_' she screamed inwardly.

"I can't get my petticoat off!" the curly-haired girl squealed. "Something's caught up in the zipper!"

"Pull it up and then back down," Zidane offered. "Here, let me try…"

Garnet's blushing became so intense, she was fairly certain she was about to burst into flames. She wasn't sure why she was having such a difficult time wrapping her head around this situation, but she just sort of was.

"…Would you be willing to let me cut it?" the blond boy asked.

"No!" the girl half-shouted. She looked up into Zidane's blue eyes. "Well, I guess that'd be okay."

Zidane pulled one of his daggers from its sheathe and sized up the fabric. It would cut easily. His main concern was that his companion might flinch and end up getting cut.

"Now, cut it straight enough for a tailor to fix and make sure it's discreet enough so that I won't be scandalized when you walk me home later," she instructed. She turned around to look at Zidane again. "Got that? Ah! Don't use that! You'll cut me!"

"No, I won't," he said. "I'm great with daggers."

"You're going to cut me! Your hand is going to slip and you'll end up stabbing me in the back! You're going to cut me to ribbons!"

"No, I'm not! Look at this old thing! It's probably not even sharp enough to cut skin," he said, running the blade over his finger tip. It sliced it open. The girl gave him an "I told you so!" look. "…I would never allow one of my blades to cut the tender flesh of a beautiful woman."

Zidane was beginning to question his judgment of character. Was this shrill girl really worth it? When she moved again, he caught a nice view of her chest.

'_It's worth it,_' he thought.

"I think I have a paring knife in the bathroom. It's got a shorter blade. Would that be okay?"

"I guess so," the girl replied curtly.

Garnet began to panic as Zidane made his way over to the door. She also wondered what was going on with his pants. The knife was on the counter. Garnet picked it up, thinking that maybe she could get away with slipping it under the door. Doing so might even clue Zidane in on that there was someone else in the room. He might take his lady friend and leave so the princess wouldn't have to spend an evening in a bathroom!

She tried sliding it under the door, but it was too thick. She took its cover off, but the handle was still just too big to fit. From the other side of the door, Zidane could see his paring knife jiggling on the floor. He raised a blond eyebrow and slowly reached for the handle, then swung the door open.

"Dagger?"

"Zidane! Hi! I was just…checking the floor for, uh…dirt! Yes! That's it! Dirt. We simply _can't_ be washing ourselves in a dirty bathroom!"

He clearly wasn't buying it. His lady friend got off the bed and went over to see what he was looking at. Her eyes bugged out of her head when she saw Garnet.

"Who is _this?!_" she demanded.

Zidane's eyes shifted from one girl to the other, then to the knife, then to the floor. He bit his lip and gently took the knife from Garnet.

"Uh…Holy crap!" he stated loudly. "…Someone left a brunette in my bathroom!"

"No," the girl said. She was stupid, but she wasn't quite stupid enough to believe that.

"I didn't think so," Zidane said, admitting defeat. "Shall I walk you out?"

"Yes, please. Just to the room's door and then I can make it on my own."

"Will you be taking your corset, madam?" he asked.

"I will."

Zidane led her out, then shut the door. He turned to Garnet, unsure of what to say. He could tell she was more than a little embarrassed, and he was, too, yet somehow, this wasn't the most awkward moment of his entire life. He wondered if what little shame he had left had finally gone out the window. He took a deep breath to collect his thoughts, then opened his mouth to speak.

"So, how much did you see?" he asked sheepishly.

"…All of it…" Garnet replied, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

"…You could've snuck out of here," he said carefully. "We wouldn't have noticed you."

"I didn't know what to do…" Garnet could feel the sting of tears in her eyes. This was too weird. "So I hid…"

"…I'm not mad," Zidane offered. He knelt down in front of the princess. "You know, I think I like an intelligent, honest girl. That other one was kind of…not the brightest paint in the set."

Garnet laughed and Zidane smiled. He hated to see her cry and was all too happy to make her smile. A question nagged at the front of his mind and threatened to travel on out of his mouth. He really wanted to bite it back, but it was ready to burst. It was like a cup of water filled to the brim; just taunting the holder with whether it would overflow or not. Zidane bit the end of his tongue.

"So, you saw all of it?"

"I'm sorry," the princess said. "It was all just happening so fast…"

"What do you mean 'fast?!'" the thief asked. Garnet just looked confused. "Never mind. Anyway, how much were you planning on watching?"

Some questions just can't be withheld. Zidane mentally kicked himself. That wasn't nice, but he had to know. They'd probably look back on this evening and laugh someday.

"Zidane!" Garnet scolded.

Someday, but not today.

"…Does that mean everything?"

Garnet kicked him in the shin and stomped out of the room. Zidane watched her leave, then remembered his bleeding finger. It had stopped and he now sported a medium-sized bloodstain on his left pant leg. He debated whether to tell people the stain was from this exact incident or a fight. He'd decide later. He licked the remaining dried blood off his finger, immediately wished he hadn't, then walked back over to his bed to retrieve his vest. It had fallen on the floor. He picked it up, sliding it back on, and noticed the pink and white flower crown on Garnet's bed. He picked the crown up gingerly, inspecting it and sniffing the flowers. They made him sneeze, but he didn't care. Zidane wondered if Eiko or Garnet had made this crown.

He turned his focus to the knots it in. He wanted to know how such a thing was made without the rubbery stems breaking. He knew absolutely nothing about flowers, but he'd seen some vibrantly colored ones in a garden not too far from the inn. There were so many in there; no one would miss six or seven flowers.

***

When night fell, Zidane snuck out to the garden. He plucked up a few flowers, then headed off to a spot where the moon shone bright enough to see. He'd worn an eye patch so he'd be able to see even better in the dark, even if it was only out from one eye. He pulled it off, then set to work on the crown.

He expected making the flower crown would be difficult, but it ended up being much tougher than he'd anticipated. He was glad he'd practiced with some pieces of string first. Eventually, he had a colorful crown.

It was not perfect. It was a little lopsided and had a couple weak points. He ended up tying one of the spots off with string. The stems had frayed a bit where they were bent, but it didn't look too bad. It smelled nice, and he was slightly allergic to it, but all in all, he was pleased with his work. He returned to the inn and placed it on Garnet's pillow.

***

Garnet awoke to the sound of a woman complaining loudly that someone had cut some of her flowers. Despite the fog of just waking up, Garnet couldn't help but think that such an event was to be expected when somebody had a garden and there were other people living near by. She smelled something sweet and looked down at her pillow. There was a lopsided, colorful flower crown sitting on it.

"It's beautiful," she whispered to herself. "I wonder who made it…"

She peered around the room, eyes settling on Zidane, who was sleeping on top of the covers. He had bags under his eyes and dirt on his knees. Garnet knitted her eyebrows, then her face softened at the sight of a tiny white flower caught in the hair on Zidane's tail. She picked it off, the tail twitching as she did so, and placed it in Zidane's blond hair. He sneezed and Garnet bit back a laugh.

"You went to a lot of trouble to make this, didn't you?" she whispered. "It's lovely, thank you."

Garnet turned to go into the bathroom. She looked at her bed, but knew she'd never fall back to sleep. Zidane's little excursion to make this flower crown still didn't account for all the other times he'd snuck off, though.

'I wonder if I could get him to take me along?' she wondered, looking over at the blond.


	3. Your Night Out

_Final Fantasy IX_, all its characters and locations are © Square Enix.

Constructive criticism is desired and appreciated.

I'm going to try not to end this chapter bluntly! I don't know why I keep doing that!

Sorry for the long delay with this chapter. I wasn't sure what to do with it, so I took it slow. Really, really slow…

***

"Your Night Out"

In the couple of weeks since the terribly awkward incident involving Garnet, Zidane and an unnamed chubby blonde, the group had set up camp in yet another blooming field. Slowly but surely, Garnet was becoming more and more able to look Zidane in the eyes. Very, very slowly.

Even though the field was lush with flowers, it had more than a few bald spots which housed more than a few too many rocks. Not just little pebbles, but _rocks_. The currant entertainment for the afternoon was watching Zidane try and find a comfortable place to sit. No matter what he did, he was getting poked with a rock somewhere on his person. His grumbling made Eiko laugh and she was following him around.

"I hate where we are right now!" Zidane declared.

As night descended on the field, Freya deemed it her turn to catch the meat for dinner. She brought back three rabbits, skinned and picked cleaned of undesirables. It was stuck on a makeshift spit and slowly cooked, courtesy Steiner. The group ate mostly in silence, with some pleasant conversation in between. Zidane was still squirming uncomfortably. Garnet watched his face closely, excitement growing in the pit of her heart when the look the blond boy got before sneaking off somewhere crept up onto his face.

"What's the matter, Zidane?" Garnet asked innocently. "Can't get comfortable?"

"No," he replied grumpily.

He suddenly became interested in the tree branch hanging above him. Deciding it was sturdy enough to hold him, he hopped up on it, then let his body drop down and hung from his tail. Feeling triumphant, he continued eating his dinner.

"You're going to choke, Zidane," Freya warned.

"I'm fine, _Mom_," Zidane replied cheerily.

Everyone was silently waiting (wishing?) for the blond to choke after proudly declaring he wouldn't, but he didn't. After the group had finished eating, they sat around the campfire making idle conversation. Zidane still hung from the branch and Garnet kept her eye on him as discreetly as possible. If he was going to run off, she wanted to tag along.

Sure enough, when everybody else crawled in their tents for the night, Zidane headed out on his own. Garnet checked her appearance, fixing her hair in the process, then bundled herself up in her white mage cloak and ran off after him. He was faster than she expected him to be and it occurred to her that he might be trying to lose her. Even though she kept losing track of him, she remained persistent and smiled to herself when she found him lying at the top of a fairly steep hill. He was looking at the stars with his hands folded under his head. Garnet approached him quietly, paranoid that he'd run off if he heard her coming.

"Might I sit with you for a moment or two?" she asked. She kept her voice soft this time.

Zidane silently patted the ground next to him, tucking his arm back under his head. Garnet gingerly sat down beside him. Nervousness found its way into the pit of her stomach; she felt like anything could happen.

"Is this what you do when you leave at night?" she asked. "You come look at the stars?"

"No, not always," he replied. His cheeks were flushed slightly. "What are you doing here?"

"I came looking for you…" the princess trailed, suddenly whishing she hadn't told him the truth.

"Oh yeah? Why's that?"

"…I wanted to know where you go…I was curious…"

Zidane slowly turned his head to face her. His blue eyes were half-lidded and hazed over with something Garnet had never seen before. He reached up and caressed her cheek with a gloved hand. Garnet looked back at him with a sense of wonder in her eyes. Zidane sat up, brushing her dark, silky locks back. The princess froze; she wondered if Zidane was going to kiss her.

He didn't; he simply stood up and held his hand out to her. She took it shyly, getting up slowly. The blond boy no longer looked like a thief with a tail to Garnet; he now resembled lust and temptation. She wanted to kiss him, but it wasn't proper for a princess to make the first move. She'd have to wait for him.

"Where did you want to go, Dagger?"

"I…don't know. What do you normally do when you sneak away?"

"…Some things are better left unsaid," Zidane dodged. He scratched his chin for a moment, thinking the night's game plan over carefully. "Want to start with a walk?"

"All right…"

'_Is this a date?_' Garnet wondered.

Zidane led her down the hillside, helping her out when she thought she might trip and fall. Garnet's whole body felt warm and tingly. She'd never been allowed to have this sort of alone time with a boy before and it absolutely thrilled her. A streak of envy began coursing through her; she wanted to have this sort of freedom all the time like Zidane did. She pushed the envy away and continued following the blond boy. She tripped on a root.

"You alright?"

"Yes, thank you," Garnet said. She eyed his tail. "You don't fall often."

"Nope," he agreed, pulling her up.

"Does your tail help balance you?"

"I guess so," Zidane answered. He flicked his tail around so they could both see it. "I really don't give it much thought."

'_Of _course_ that's what it does, Garnet! What else would a tail be for?! And _why_ would he be spending any time at all contemplating a limb he was _born with_ that is _perfectly normal_ to him?!_' Garnet mentally berated herself.

"Shall we?" Zidane asked, reaching out to the princess again.

Garnet obediently followed. She wasn't sure what to say or think, but somehow, it didn't really matter. Nothing seemed to matter to her right then except for Zidane. She watched his messy ponytail sway from side-to-side as he walked. Another gentle breeze went by, making even more of a mess of Zidane's hair.

The hillside turned into a thin valley. It was blooming with flowers, fireflies, and residual moisture from a light rain shower earlier in the night. The moonlight made the raindrops sparkle and Garnet looked ahead to Zidane again. She could tell that the blond boy had somewhere specific in mind, but she didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay there with him forever.

"Zidane? Do we have to-"

"We're here."

It was just then that Garnet noticed he'd been carrying something. He spread the blanket out on the ground, patting it so Garnet would sit with him. She did, lowering her hood and shyly looking away.

"Is this what you do when you leave us? You come here?"

"No, not always," Zidane replied. "I go hang out around town mostly. I thought this would be nice. There's cherry trees here."

He stood on his tip toes, pulling the lowest branch down. He plucked off a few cherries, tossing a couple to the princess. He let go of the flimsy branch and it snapped back up, releasing a few more cherries as it did so. Zidane sat down next to Garnet, popping a cherry into his mouth.

"They're good," the princess said.

Garnet had never had cherries before, due to her parents' belief that they were bad for their daughter's teeth. She suddenly learned why they'd thought that when she bit down on something hard. She managed to separate it from the rest of the fruit, eyes darting around as she wondered what it could be and how she was going to get it out of her mouth.

"…You've never had a cherry, have you?" Zidane asked, trying not to laugh. He broke when she gave a shake of her head and an awkward squeal. "It's okay; it's just the pit. You know what you do with the pit? You spit 'em out!"

Garnet's dark eyes bugged out of her head as she watched the thief spit a cherry pit out onto the ground beside the blanket. She didn't know much about food that hadn't been pre-made for her, but she did know herself and she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she absolutely would not spit.

"Oh, it's _fine!_" Zidane chided. "You're just with me, no one important."

Garnet covered her mouth with one hand and pulled the pit out with the other. She set it aside in the grass, hoping her companion couldn't see it. Zidane watched her with a blank face, slowly raising a blond eyebrow. He turned his head to the side and spit out another pit.

Garnet gagged.

"I'm not trying to gross you out," he insisted. "I just want you to loosen up."

"…Why did you say you're no one important?" Garnet asked softly.

"I'm not. I'm not a noble or a scholar or anything fancy like that. I'm just a member of Tantalus who would like to enjoy these cherries with a lovely young lady. Now, have another!"

He tossed a cherry at her again and much to the princess' surprise, she caught it. She chewed it carefully, not wanting to risk biting down hard on the pit again. Once she'd isolated the pit, she clenched her fists and spat it to the ground like Zidane had told her to. He started laughing again, pleased that she was letting go of feeling she had to be so prim and proper whilst in his presence. Garnet blushed a little, then returned Zidane's smile.

"What else did you have in mind tonight?" she asked.

"Shouldn't the gentleman ask the lady what she wants to do?" he asked with a smirk, remembering their conversation under the tree a few weeks ago. It made Garnet smile.

"What would normally be doing if you'd come here alone?" Garnet asked eagerly. She wanted nothing more in that moment than to understand Zidane's world.

"…Things…and…stuff…like that…" the blond boy babbled, his blue eyes the size of the moon.

"Well, what kinds of 'things and stuff?' Do you go away to think?"

"…Yes. Let's call it that. A lot of thinking…" Zidane replied, eyes still large and looking down slightly at his right hand. Feeling like he'd just cheated death, he composed himself. "What do you do when you're all alone?"

"I look at the stars," Garnet said. She stood up to walk around, taking in her new surroundings. "The view was never as nice or clear as this. I'd barely even left the castle before you came along, though I certainly wanted to. It's nice seeing the world."

"I can't ever imagine spending so much time in one place," Zidane mused.

He stuck to his spot on the blanket, watching Garnet explore the little clearing. The princess glanced over at him, eyes widening a bit when she saw the same expression he'd worn on the hilltop was still there. She didn't know what to make of it or what it meant, but clearly, it was something deeper than his usual cheeriness. She wanted to get to the bottom of it. She wanted to get closer to Zidane.

Creeping over to him, Garnet cautiously knelt down before the blond boy. She pushed some of his messy hair out of his face, but then let it all fall back to the way it was. Brushed-back hair just didn't suit him. She didn't know what she should do next. She still wasn't even sure if this was a date. Next thing either of them knew, Garnet was throwing her arms around Zidane and hugging him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her gently, squeezing her warmly. She tightened her grip on him and he did the same.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, her words muffled by his hair. "I just wanted to be close to you."

"That's nice," the thief replied with a smile. "I like being close to you, too."

It was a little weird for Zidane to be holding so closely the girl he'd tried to kidnap. He and his Tantalus brothers had seen Garnet only as a money source; never once did it occur to him that there may be something else to the lovely princess. The more they stayed like that, the less and less Zidane felt it was right to keep her nearby. She wasn't supposed to be associating with thieves and wayward fighters. He was growing a conscience and he didn't like it.

"Dagger? Maybe I should take you back. Steiner's probably looking for you."

"Too bad for him. I want to stay right here with you."

Zidane sighed and Garnet snuggled in closer to him. He held her tight, making her feel safe and warming himself up in the process. It occurred to him that this was probably the first time he'd ever held a woman without the intention of getting anything in return. He didn't want to steal jewels or money from Garnet, nor did he want sex from her. He just wanted to hang out in a forest clearing with her. He wanted to let her pretend he was her knight in shining armor and Garnet absolutely believed him to be.

She took in a deep breath, enjoying how he smelled like rain. That had always been one of her favorite smells. She liked how he dressed for comfort and no one else. It was something she still couldn't do herself. She wore her leather overalls because they weren't something typical of a princess, but they were still of the highest quality. She still wanted to look nice for all who saw her. Right then, she only wanted Zidane to see her. She'd brushed and restyled her long hair for him. She found herself liking the feeling of getting all gussied up for one man rather than for the sake of keeping up appearances in the presence of nobility.

"I want to stay here with you forever," Garnet whispered.

Zidane continued staring forward, his breathing still even. Despite growing fond of the princess, he kept in mind that they'd have to part one day. That wall was crashing down and he felt himself rapidly becoming attached to her. He didn't want to leave her, either. He didn't know what to say to her, so he simply held her tight.

"No matter what happens," Zidane said firmly. "I'll always stick by you, even if we're apart. Always."

Zidane didn't know how much he could give a princess, but he hoped she could at least accept that as the truth.


	4. The Dream We Share

_Final Fantasy IX_, all its characters and locations are © Square Enix.

Constructive criticism is desired and appreciated.

The adorable Quina's movements and some dialog suggested to me that s/he is female, so I shall call her as such. I hope you don't mind. The event with her being eaten was inspired by a battle I fought when I played. I thought, "We have to go get her! Hm, I guess we don't. How did she get back out?" and then, this little bit came to me.

I'm sorry I took forever.

***

"The Dream We Share"

The day after Garnet's night out with Zidane, Steiner and Freya had insisted that their group head into the nearest town to stock up on supplies. A particularly nasty monster had attacked along the way. Zidane, Freya, Garnet and Quina went up against it. Garnet ordered Steiner to protect Vivi and Eiko from it. She wasn't sure why she had, as the two children were more than capable of taking care of themselves. She hadn't been thinking plainly since she'd cuddled up to Zidane in the clearing.

As the fight with the monster raged on, a most unexpected thing happened.

Quina was eaten.

Zidane, Freya and Garnet simultaneously froze, staring in amazement. Steiner was panicking behind them, praying that Garnet wouldn't be devoured as well. With a fatal, careful stab, Freya finished the creature off. The group gathered around the corpse.

"Do you think she…he…it…died instantly or might she need a pity stab?" Zidane wondered aloud, brandishing a dagger.

His traveling mates stared at him oddly. He stared back and insisted that he'd just posed a legitimate question. Amarant folded his arms and smirked evilly.

"You asked," he said. "So why don't _you_ cut her out? If she's not too badly chewed up, we can roast her."

"Amarant! That's terrible!" Garnet cried. "Oh, Zidane, what if she is alright? Do get her out, please!"

"Hey!" Quina called from inside the corpse. "This no look like yummy-yummy! Get me out!"

"We're coming, Quina!" Freya called. "Zidane! Hurry up! Its stomach acid will burn her alive!"

"Hello?! It smell bad _and_ taste bad in here! Someone help! Or, send better yummy-yummy."

"Why me?!" Zidane shouted. "Shouldn't she be saved by someone who actually _likes_ her?! I mean, why give her false hope?"

"Zidane!" Garnet scolded. "You're terrible, too! You've got the knives that are least likely to cut Quina, so get in there and help her out!"

"…Quina!" Zidane yelled into the corpse. "You have a fork! Use it to cut yourself out! It'll take you a while, but I'm sure you can do it!"

"What you yelling about? Fork outside! Save me or send food!"

Sure enough, Quina's fork was sticking out of the ground. Zidane was certain it was laughing at him. Freya picked Zidane up and stuck him on top on the beast's back. Zidane turned to his friends and comrades, holding up his middle finger.

"I hate you all."

He knelt down and began cutting. Garnet found herself squeamish and turned away. Eiko and Freya followed her, joining her in a nice shady spot. Vivi watched for as long as he could, then ran to the bushes to be ill.

"How is it, Zidane?" Freya called.

"Oh, don't worry; the smell is unimaginable!" he called back. "Each and every one of you owes me a steak dinner, a beer and a cigar!"

Garnet was both taken aback and brought to attention at Zidane telling the group he demanded a cigar. She'd smelt them on him before. He hadn't really answered her questions about his whereabouts upon leaving, just said he'd go into town. She automatically assumed that he'd visited a bar when she first smelled the cigars on him. A conversation she wasn't meant to overhear from Amarant flooded back to memory. He'd mentioned Lani and making love to her (though he hadn't put it quite so nicely) and the cigars…she wondered if Zidane had the same intention. Over the course of the day, she'd come up with more questions for the blond thief. She wanted to know who that girl he'd been with was.

"Oh, what is _that?!_" Zidane yelled from atop the monster. He'd turned stark white at seeing whatever "that" was. "_Two_ beers, everybody! Two beers per each of you!"

He kept cutting and cutting until finally, he saw the top of Quina's hat. He jabbed her on the head with the hilt of his dagger. She yelled up to acknowledge that she was alright and waited patiently for Zidane to finish cutting her an escape hatch.

"Thank you!" she said affectionately. "You save me from eternity of no tasty yummy-yummies!"

Quina leaned in to hug her savior. Zidane backed away, looking around for something to smell so he could get the horrible stench out of his nostrils once and for all.

"Okay, Quina? Don't touch me. You're covered in unknown crap. Some of it might even be _actual_ crap. It…it's…oh, sweet merciful _gods_, I need to hurl…"

Zidane stomped over to where the ladies of the group wouldn't see, and threw up. Vivi covered his ears to try and drown out the loud retching. Zidane had no idea how loud he was being, but he didn't care. He felt like the others deserved to be a fraction as grossed out as he was. Garnet approached him slowly, doing her best to keep from running away at the sound. She kept her eyes focused upwards so she wouldn't see the substance on the ground.

"Would you like me to hold your hair?" she offered gently.

"No! No…just…leave me alone for a while…please…" Zidane groaned. "Oh, dear gods…"

Garnet scurried away and sat back down with Eiko and Freya. She looked at the oak tree next to them, then noticed the other girls' hands. They were making thin crowns out of the limited supply of flowers around them.

"I've never done this before," Freya said. "It's kind of neat, Eiko."

"Isn't it? To finish it off, you tie it like this…"

Garnet watched the little girl give Dragon Knight her lesson in making flower crowns. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zidane stagger over to the brook to wash his mouth out. He then staggered over to the next couple trees over and slumped down. Vivi waddled to him, putting a concerned hand on his shoulder.

"Are you better now?" the little boy asked.

"Yeah…no…ugh, just let me lay down for a while…"

Vivi wasn't sure if he should stay or let Zidane be alone. He sat down for minute, then headed over to visit the girls. Freya placed a large flower crown around his hat. Vivi giggled and got to work on his own crown. Garnet was pinching and twisting her own two flowers, staring off into space. She couldn't get Zidane's mystery woman out of her head and suddenly found herself to be acutely jealous of her.

"Dagger?" Eiko said.

"Hm? I'm alright, Eiko. Go back to your craft."

Garnet had split the stem of the weaker flower, its nectar smearing onto her gloves. She couldn't get the blonde girl out of her head, mostly because their "meeting" had been so awkward. She wanted to know the girl's name and her relation to Zidane. She wondered if he'd been trying to keep her a secret.

'_I wonder how close they are,_' Garnet thought. '_What can I do to stand out to him more? I think last night did it pretty well, but if there's another woman…I want to be his _only _woman._'

"Garnet?" Freya said. "You're staring out into nothing. What's troubling you, princess?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all. Well…um, Freya?"

"Yes?"

"Could we go…talk somewhere private?"

"Of course," Freya answered kindly, standing up and brushing grass from her clothes.

"I'll come, too!" Eiko cheered.

"No, Eiko, I'd rather talk to Freya alone, okay?" Garnet said gently.

Freya was vaguely familiar with the area they were currently in. She led Garnet to an area not too far away, but just far enough to be out of earshot. She sat down and patted the ground next to her.

"What did you wish to talk about?"

"Well, um, how does one go about getting a man to be only interested in her? And I'm not asking for me! One of my ladies-in-waiting asked me the last time I was at the castle!"

"And what was this lady's name?" Freya asked, raising an eyebrow.

"…Sapphire?"

"Really. And what might be the name of 'Sapphire's' love interest?"

"…Zackary?"

"Were those questions, princess?"

"No…?"

"You want Zidane, don't you, Garnet?"

"Yes… Don't tell anybody this-"

"Nothing you tell me will ever leave my lips," Freya promised, giving Garnet's hand a comforting squeeze.

"Thank you," Garnet said. She studied Freya's clawed hand for a moment, then bit her lip and took a deep breath. "The last time we stayed at an inn, I was in our room and Zidane brought a girl in. I hid in the water closet, but Zidane caught me."

"…And? Why did you hide? Why didn't you just excuse yourself if you felt it necessary?"

"I panicked…" Garnet whimpered. "I wanted to see what the girl looked like. She was beautiful. She was chubby and blonde with curls in her hair."

"What were they doing…?" Freya asked, suddenly wishing she hadn't.

"I think they were going to…um…you know…m-make…love?"

"And you…were sitting in the water closet."

"Yes," Garnet groaned, dropping her head into her hands.

"Wasn't that the water closet with the big hole in the door?"

"Yes…" Garnet squeaked.

Freya's blue eyes grew wide. Her fingers twitched and she gave Garnet the "hold on" hand gesture. She covered her mouth, struggling to contain a long uproar of laughter.

"And you were there for it?" she said, some of the laughter slipping out.

"They didn't do anything except try to take their clothes off! The girl couldn't remove her corset and Zidane wanted his pear knife or whatever the blasted thing is called and I had it and I tried to slip in under the door, but it got stuck and then Zidane opened the door and then the girl saw me and left."

"So you _almost_ saw them…" Freya said, nodding her head in understanding. It wasn't as funny now that she knew the details.

"Yes," Garnet said, her face burning. "I don't know who she was, though. It bothers me."

"You're jealous."

"No!"

"Yes. You want to be Zidane's only girl. You just said so."

"How does one get a man all to herself?"

Freya bit her bottom lip. She'd blocked out the question at first, hoping that Garnet would forget about it after telling her the story of what had happened back in the water closet. Freya had never been successful in love.

'_When it's a matter of the heart, there should be no forgetting,_' Freya thought to herself.

Garnet remembered the whole event with Fratley and gasped, covering her mouth. She frantically tried to apologize, but the older girl stopped her. Freya blocked out her own personal pain for the time being to focus on Garnet. She would've opted for any other subject in the moment.

"Garnet," Freya started, thinking over her words and choosing them carefully. "I know Zidane better than any of you and let me say this: He cannot stay in one place for very long. He can be faithful, but I don't see him being happy living in only one area. Traveling the world in a ship is all he knows. He's only had two steady girlfriends in his life and those relationships didn't last long because of the distance."

"I could wait for him if he was touring with Tantalus."

"Waiting hurts," Freya said bitterly. She softened her tone again. "Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?"

"Zidane appreciates travel."

"No. Well, yes, but that's not my point. You're going to be a queen. You need to be in Alexandria to watch over your kingdom. He needs to be free to do whatever he likes. Absence doesn't always make the heart grow fonder, Garnet."

"So you don't think we can be together?"

"I'm not saying that. I'm telling you something I think you need to hear. Zidane has some wonderful staying qualities, too. He's funny and loyal. He's also happy and sprightly; he'd always keep you on your toes. You'd never be bored."

"Well, I knew that. How do I…get him to like me?"

"He does like you, at least as a friend. Why don't you go have dinner with him tonight? He mentioned wanting a steak and beer."

"Would that be a date?" Garnet asked.

"Well, I guess it could be. Have you been on a date?"

"Not unsupervised," the princess said, awkwardly twirling her hair. "Um…does meeting potential suitors with my parents count as a date?"

"…I think that counts as having dinner with another family," Freya answered. "Although…hm, no. That's not a date. Garnet, I'm going to tell you one very important detail about dating. Listen to me closely."

"Okay."

"The man should pay," the Dragon Knight said seriously, gripping Garnet's shoulders. "He should always pay and never ask you for a gil. Or skip out and leave you with bill, because he said he had money and really didn't, so he excuses himself to the bathroom and never comes back and then you have to pay!"

Garnet's dark eyes were the size of saucers as Freya began punching the tree. She shouted abuse at the innocent tree trunk, causing bark to fly and show the paler wood underneath. Garnet wondered if she should pull Freya away from the tree or let her continue pounding it. Soon enough, the Burmecean stopped on her own. She looked at Garnet, then the tree, giving it a little pat and smoothing out her clothes.

"Just…make sure the man pays."

"But Zidane said that we owe him dinner for cutting Quina out-"

"Make. Sure. The man. _Pays_."

Freya walked off, getting tickled by Garnet's story from earlier. She doubled over in laughter. She wasn't quite out of the princess' earshot and her face burned red again. Recovering, Garnet gingerly made her way over to Zidane.

The blond boy was still curled up under the tree. He was sleeping and turned away from his friends. The princess wondered if she should wake him manually or wait for him to rise on his own. She gave him a gentle poke on the shoulder. When it didn't do anything effective, she poked a little harder.

"Huh, what?" the blond boy grumbled. He sat up and looked around. "_Ah_, a lovely lady wants my company?"

"Oh, _you_," Garnet sighed. She smiled and tried to push the rosy color from her cheeks. "Would you like to go for that dinner now?"

"Not today. Not after…the _things_ I saw," he said flatly. He shuddered. "I think I'm traumatized."

"Could we…go for another walk?"

Zidane let go of the nasty memories from before and sat up straighter to face the princess. He chewed the inside of his lip. Garnet watched him intently, curious as to what he was thinking. He stood up and offered his hand to her. He accompanied her down the path of her choosing. He made pleasant conversation with her and she believed him to be happy, but in reality, he was praying he hadn't made a mistake. He remembered his words from the clearing in the woods and knew she did, too.

"_No matter what happens, I'll always stick by you, even if we're apart. Always."_

He wanted her to believe those words, but he didn't want her to think anything between them was set in stone. He knew she'd been avoiding thinking about what would happen when their journey was over. He tried to avoid it, too, but he couldn't. It was too uncertain. He was a thief and she was a princess. She'd be queen someday and he'd still be Zidane Tribal; member of Tantalus, the theater troupe who performs a play and then steals stuff when everybody's distracted. Maybe Garnet thought they could overcome that class barrier, but he'd always been told no and he believed it.

He stiffened when she looped her arms around his. She rested her head on his shoulder, sighing a happy sigh. He patted her hair with his free hand and gave a little sigh of his own. As much as Baku had drilled it into all of his boys' heads that none of them should ever pursue any member of nobility, Zidane wished he was wrong.

There was nothing wrong with dreaming, though. He pushed all the negativity away and put his happy face back on. He asked her where she wanted to go, willing to follow her literally anywhere if it meant keeping their dream alive for just a little longer.


	5. The Breaking Heart He Saves

_Final Fantasy IX_, all its characters and locations are © Square Enix.

Constructive criticism is desired and appreciated.

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. It's meant a lot to me to know that people are enjoying this story, because I carried the idea for it around for a long time.

Merry Christmas!

***

"The Breaking Heart He Saves"

The recent rumors about Brahne running about with a tall man had begun taking their toll on the whole group. Everyone knew how taxing they were to Garnet, but talking about them for the sake of moving forward was completely necessary. Garnet bit her lip while walking along. She didn't have much time to herself; Steiner would come looking for her any minute. It was getting dark. The evening sky, while lovely, had made her begin to dread the nights. Her moonlight walks with Zidane hadn't stopped him from leaving, though they had compelled him to stay more often.

When she reached the camp again, the blond boy was gone. Her heart sank, but she noticed Vivi was missing as well. The fact that both boys were not present gave her a glimmer of hope; perhaps they'd return.

'_Perhaps it's only coincidence,' _a soft voice in the princess' head whispered.

"Perhaps it's not!" Garnet snapped back.

"Perhaps what isn't, Your Highness?" Steiner asked.

"Oh…nothing. Where might Zidane and Vivi have gone to?"

"Master Vivi and that rapscallion went to catch fish for dinner. Is that acceptable for you or should I find you something else?"

"No, no! Fish is wonderful!" Garnet answered happily.

Steiner held a questioning look back; Garnet had always hated fish. He began worrying about the time she was spending with Zidane. She was coming back in the same condition as she would leave in, but he still didn't like the idea of her being alone in the wilderness with a boy.

Said "rapscallion" and Vivi returned, proudly holding up their fish. Zidane's pants were rolled up to his knees and Vivi was soaking wet. The little mage set his catch down, eager to dry off in front of the fire. Once it was skewered and cooked, everyone quietly began eating. Eiko was first to break the silence.

"When are we going to go see the queen?"

"Well, Miss Eiko," Steiner began. "That's a delicate matter right now…"

Garnet took some deep breaths. She knew Eiko had meant no harm in asking about her mother, but too many conflicting emotions were breaking her composure. She wanted the Brahne from her memories; the one who embraced her in warm hugs and unconditional love. Every time she slept, her dreams were filled with scenes of her past; precious memories of singing carols at Christmastime, trying on her mother's jewelry and making flower crowns in the garden on summer afternoons. She could still smell the flowers and Brahne's perfume. She still didn't want to accept what her mother was doing.

'_It's Kuja's fault,_' she thought bitterly. '_It's entirely his fault that Mother is this way. Once he is gone, she will return to normal. Everything will be alright._'

Telling herself that all would be well in the end didn't ease the pain that starlit evening. Tears pooled in her dark eyes and she clenched her fists to fight them off. She lost her battle in a matter of seconds and stood up quickly to run off.

Eiko's eyes widened, guilt in them evident. She called after the princess, who only kept running. The little girl sunk back into herself.

"What you said didn't hurt her, Eiko," Freya said warmly. "There's a lot on her mind. This situation is a lot for a girl her age to deal with. It's a lot for anyone to deal with."

***

Garnet ran deep into the forest, having no idea of where she was going. She didn't care where she ended up, either. Zidane had bolted after her and he was gaining on the princess. She was fast, but he knew he'd catch up to her. He didn't know if she was aware of his pursuit or not. The way she didn't waiver from her path told him no. Finally, she collapsed into herself just in front of a small brook.

"Dagger!"

"Z-Zidane?" she sputtered. "I-I…"

"It's okay. Just…" he paused. Zidane didn't know what he should say or do. A part of him wondered what it was like to be in Garnet's situation; another didn't want to.

"I feel like I'm losing her," the princess sobbed. "She's not even a shadow of who she used to be. She was so kind and giving, but now she's someone else entirely!"

"There's still time, Dagger. We will find her and you can talk some sense into her."

"Don't you think I've tried? She won't listen to anyone but Kuja. Every since he came along, Mother has been focused solely on money and empire. It's hopeless…"

"No, it isn't," the blond said firmly. He held her close. "You can still try. If a damaged relationship with someone is worth fixing, then you _have_ to try and save it. I'll worry about Kuja for you, Dagger. I'll worry about everything for you."

"I'm so scared…"

"Don't be. Do you remember what I told you in the clearing?"

"Yes," she sniffled.

"What did I say?" he said, gripping her shoulders.

"You said you'd always be here, even if…"

Garnet's breath hitched in her throat. The idea of being separated from anyone was too much for her to bear. She hugged Zidane as tightly as she could. He rubbed her back, placing a soft kiss onto her hair.

"Even if we're apart," he finished. "But, we never will be. No matter what happens, we'll stick together."

"But what if something _does_ happen?" she asked, crying again.

"And what if it doesn't?" he shrugged with a smile. "When you were escaping the castle, you didn't think anything would go wrong. Why not have a little faith in me?"

A soft blush graced Garnet's cheeks. She'd heard her friends and maids talk of finding a prince that would stay by their sides forever, but this was the closest she'd ever come to experiencing it for herself. She rested her head on his shoulder and took a deep breath. She sniffed around his neck a couple times, curious as to why he smelled like flowers there.

"Oh, yeah," he muttered. He untied something, then fastened it around Garnet's head. "That's for you."

He'd made her another flower crown. It was even more rumpled and lopsided than the last one, especially since the flowers he'd used didn't have strong stems. It smelled pretty and the fact that he'd made it for her to bring her comfort gave her a strong feeling of connection she'd never held before. She cuddled back up to him, careful not to disrupt the delicate flowers atop her head.

"I'll never leave you," he said.

Garnet had once thought little girls' dreams of a Prince Charming coming to save them were a bit silly, but she was rethinking it. She looked up into his sparkling blue eyes; they were full of life and love and right then, it was all directed at her. He rubbed small circles in her back, sending her the message that he'd remain faithful to her. She smiled at him, though with her eyes and not her lips, showing him that she both accepted and reciprocated his loyalty.

"_No matter what happens, I'll always stick by you, even if we're apart. Always."_

Zidane tightened his embrace on her and she sighed, believing in his promise.


End file.
